The annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C. was very different this year. Instead of Hollywood stars, reporters and pundits walked the red carpet.
Inside the ballroom, storied journalists celebrated the first amendment as President Donald Trump rocked a patriotic rally in Pennsylvania to mark his 100th day in office.
“USA, USA, USA” the crowd chanted at different times throughout the rally.
Trump’s absence at the dinner was palpable. He’s the first president not to attend in more than three decades.
“Media outlets like CNN and MSNBC are fake news,” the president told the crowd in Pennsylvania.
Journalists who spoke at the dinner sent him a unified message.
“We are not fake news, we are not failing news organizations and we are not the enemy of the American people,” said White House Correspondents’ Association President Jeff Mason.
“If the media's job is to be honest and tell the truth then I think we would all agree the media deserves a very, very big fat failing grade,” the president said to thunderous applause from an audience of his supporters.
The public battle between the president and press continues, but despite that, the facts show President Trump is more accessible to the media than President Obama ever was and for that, the White House Press Corps is grateful.